


Take the Sky From Me

by Rainpebbles



Series: The Impala Series [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Firefly Verse, Destiel - Freeform, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sabriel - Freeform, supernatural in space!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-16
Updated: 2015-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-26 16:51:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5012389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainpebbles/pseuds/Rainpebbles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SPN characters in Firefly universe. Captain Dean Winchester and his crew are no strangers to crime, but when two fugitives find their way onto his ship, Dean has to redefine his thoughts to what is right and wrong. Meanwhile, he also has to deal with feds, crazy guys in trench coats, and flesh eating monsters. Hints of Sabriel, eventual Destiel. Part 1 of the Impala Series</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. So it begins...

Disclaimer: I don't own either of these fandoms! All material here is for entertainment purposed only.

Notes: So this is basically just Firefly with Supernatural characters…but also with a bunch of twists and changes that I thought would be fun to implement. You will see a decent amount of fandom merging. I'm hoping that this will eventually lead me to doing this for every episode of Firefly as well as the movie, and perhaps even more! Depends on how you guys like it. So enjoy!

Dean runs along the trenches as fire explodes on either side of him. Screams are heard all around him even with the blasts going off in his ears. Smoke, blood, chemicals, burning flesh, and gunpowder fill his nostrils to the point where he can taste it. But still he runs along filled with purpose and determination as he nears where he wants to be.

As another explosion goes off behind him he leaps into a trench and lands next to a tall soldier tending to another man: their sergeant.

"Sammy! I need a signal flare!" shouts Dean to the tall soldier, trying to be heard over the noise. But Sam heard him fine.

"I don't think…" suddenly the sergeant starts screaming, "Do you hear that?! Do you see?! They're coming!"

Both Dean and Sam look to where their sergeant is pointing to see a ship coming and their hearts sink. The ship isn't one of theirs. It's Garrison, which means this battle is lost. Dean simply shakes his head, gets up and walks away with parting words, "It's done. Let's see who is still with us."  
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They are all breathing heavy. It's the only sound they can hear from each other because of the desolate silence of space. Sam is holding a drill steadily to the blast door of a space storage unit. Sweat keeps getting in his eyes as well as his hair as he mentally thinks, "maybe I should get it cut soon." But Dean beat him to the thought.

"Hey Rapunzel, hurry up so we can get out of here and I can get a drink. Chuck must have given me a busted suit again. I'm hotter than a baby in a microwave right now."

"Both of you shut up and get this done. " A frustrated Meg piped in. Dean only grunted.

Taking a deep breath, Sam returned his focus to his drilling. He was almost through the door.

"Oh Doctor Sexy, you're so….sexy! So strong and sweet and tall and built. With your long flowing hair and cowboy boots. Not to mention that you're hung like a friggin' ho…"(beep beep beep)!

Trickster dropped his toy "action figure" quickly and turned to the monitor that broke into his alone time. Seeing that it is the proximity alarm he then turns to the radar to see a green blob moving quickly towards the ship.

"Well just color me puce and slap my junk." He says as he reaches quickly across his control panel to the comm and shouts a quick, "Dean!" into it.

Sam finally breaks through the door as it bangs into the empty hallway with a loud clang and a rush of gas. Oxygen was a good sign. The goods must still be intact, thought Sam. Entering the room, the three immediately see large crates safely tucked away in the corners of the room.

"Safe and sound and all ours for the taking! And you thought they would already be gone. Serves you right Sammy, not trusting your big brother," teased Dean as they moved further into the room.

"Yes Dean, you're brilliant. So brilliant that you make a living stealing other's possessions. Let's just grab these puppies and stuff them in the cargo hold so I can take off this frumpy suit," Megs voice sounds dry over the suits headsets of the brothers. And as soon as her voice cuts out, Trickster's loudly breaks in sounding annoyed. A sure sign that something big was wrong.

"Dean! Dean-o! Sammy-boy! Samalot! We got company. Get your tight behinds outta there now. It's a Garrison cruiser. "

"Retak menjilat", (crack lickers) Dean cursed. Immediately the three of them grabbed the nearest crate and stacked them on the dolly. Within 30 seconds, they were running back along the corridor and back into the safety of their home ship's hold. Dean sighed as he entered and took a grateful look around his beloved ship before barking out orders to Sam and Meg to put all of the crates into the hidey holes in the flanks of the hold.

"Dean, if they are here for the salvage then we are humped," Meg pointed out with an edge to her voice. Dean sighed for the second time, but more with frustration this time. He turns to the call box and yells into it.

"Trickster! Shut it down! Everything but the air."

The answering call, "Dead fish it is! Chuck! Let's smother this mother!" came a half a second later.

In the engine room a squirrely man covered in sweat and grease emerges from under the bright glowing core of the ship pulling levers and banging copper pieces as he comes out and trips almost instantly once back on the floor as he reaches for the call box. "Smothered!"

Back in the hold the lights dim and everyone on the ship holds their breath. They wait for a few minutes as the cruiser loomed closer. In the control room Trickster looked unblinkingly at the radar screen with the comm still in hand ready to report any developments. Eventually the cruiser is close enough that there is no doubt as to its goal. He breathes out a ,"shit", over the comm and it's enough for the rest of the crew to know what is happening outside of the ship. Tensely Dean reached for the call box again, "where is the cry-baby, Tricky?"

"Jeez Cap, give me a sec….and it's off! Cry baby, cry!" came the exasperated voice of the pilot.

Outside the ship a mish-mosh of a garbage can and wires is released letting out a distress call for all Garrison cruisers to hear and become lawfully if not morally obligated to follow. Sam, Dean, and Meg remain silent for few minutes as the item drifts further and further from the ship, hopefully drawing the cruiser with it. Sam is mentally counting in his head, seven Mississippi, eight Mississippi, nine Mississippi….

Dean remains stoic occasionally looking at his brother for signs of distress. His mental thoughts focused on his next escape plan if this one was to blow up in their faces. Looking at Meg just pisses him off because she just looks bored out of her mind as she fiddles with the ends of her hair.

Finally Tricksters voice is for once comforting and not annoying to Dean as he report, "Cat has taken the bait! Let's blow this joint!" And Dean knows that they are safe. For the third time that night he sighs.

"Alright guys, let's get paid."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Crack

The top of the crate popped off with all of the crew standing around. Dean, with his crowbar in hand smiled at each of them in turn before reaching in and pulling out his prize. One of many protein bars, but then something on the wrapper caught his eye.

"Well shit. This sucks. They're marked. Can't sell 'em proper. Going to have to be sneaky about it now. Any suggestions?"

Trickster piped in, "Well we can always just sell them proper anyway! It's not like they will arrest me. I'm just the pilot. I can always say that I was flying the ship by accident."

"Oh don't get your panties in a bunch Shorty. This doesn't have to be too big a problem. So stop sniveling and start thinking. Dean and I both have some contacts that are shady enough to not care about some Garrison marked goods. Isn't that right, Dean?" Meg's sly voice and knowing smirk always sent a shiver or repulsion through Dean, but she was right. Dean turned to Sam with a raised eyebrow. Sam looked at him for a few seconds before screwing up his face into bitch face #4. The "are you kidding me face".

"No, Dean. Just talk to Crowley. Maybe he won't care."

"Fine. Tricky, how long till we reach Persephone?"

"Hmmm, I'd say 3 or 4 hours? If you want to shave it closer then we can light a match under Chucks butt and cut it closer to 2 and a half?" Tricksters smirk was enough to let Dean know that Chuck would probably be coming to him later with a complaint about Trickster pulling another prank on him. Last one was Trickster telling Chuck that Dean was dying of elephantitis of the balls and that if Chuck didn't get the ship going faster, then Dean's balls would explode taking the rest of the crew with them. Needless to say, it did the trick and Dean's ship never reached a port faster.

"Whatever it takes. I just want to get paid. Let me know when we are an hour away. Get these things stored! I don't want civilians tripping over them."

Chuck chose that moment to appear. "Are we taking on passengers at Persephone?"

"That's the hope. We could use the extra cash. I'm getting sick of protein bars and cheap whiskey." Dean screwed up his face in distaste at the thought of what would probably end up being his dinner anyway.

"Oh awesome! I love new people, they always have great stories! Maybe I'll get some new material for my own book," squealed Chuck. Behind him Meg was also screwing up her face in distaste, but for a different reason all together.

"Shut up Chuck! More people around means higher risk. Stuff your pen up your ass, stop writing, and I don't' know, tinker or something!" Meg's frustration with the mechanic/writer was nothing new, and so it didn't concern Dean. Meg always had a frustrated attitude with anyone. Dean was only concerned when she started being nice and patient with someone. So he just turned and walked towards to control room.

Sam and Trickster had quickly snuck out of the hold right as Dean started telling everyone to move stuff. Normally Sam would help out, but the pilot had grabbed his arm and started "dragging" Sam, a very much larger person, away.

"Something doesn't feel right about this. I mean, I love my brother, but he sucks at staying out of trouble." Sam knew he was the one to suggest going to Crowley anyway, but it was the "safest" option at this point. Devil you know and all that shit.

"Sammy-cakes, of course it's going to feel wonky! It's crime! It's supposed to not feel right," Trickster reminds Sam while fiddling with his action figure's pants.

"I know. But Dean seems so tense …"

"Of course he's tense. He's awake…and probably hasn't gotten laid in a year. Speaking of which, we, and I mean you the beloved little brother, should ask for some shore leave. I'm feeling a bit frisky myself," Trickster smirks and raises his eyebrows at Sam suggestively. Sam blushes and shifts where he is leaning against a control panel.

"I have missed real food. And real showers. Like with actual veggies and non-recycled and water…."

"Then it's settled! You get your bro nice and trashed and then get him to agree to a weekend stay at a port before he sobers up! It's fool proof."

"Tricky…I can't do that. He's the captain, and…"

"And that means he needs this break more than most. Listen, just tell him…"

"Tell me what?" Dean walked into the control room eyes shifting between Sam and the pilot. Sam looked uncomfortable, and Trickster just looked at Sam, totally ignoring Dean's entrance. After some past moments of silence and awkwardness, Dean decided to get down to business.

"Okay, after we make contact with Crowley, see if you can reach our ambassador. Let her know we are docking at Persephone soon, so if she has business pending, she better squeeze it dry and get it off. I ain't waiting." Sam flinches at this. Trickster smirks and responds,

"I'm sure she will appreciate your lovely phrasing. I'll send her and Crowley a wave."

 

A lovely red-haired woman and an awkward yet handsome youth are wrapped up together under the covers. The youth jerks and shifts above her, clearly nervous. His moans are loud enough to cover the sounds of the creaking bed beneath them. The red-head simply holds him and runs her hands soothingly up and down his spine, moving lower and lower with each stroke. Eventually he tightens, relaxes, becomes still. She runs her hand through is hair and he pulls from her neck, looks at her with sweaty insecurity. She smiles with a sort of fond sweetness in her expression. He rests his head on her breast, still breathing hard.

"Oh Anna, that was amazing," the newly made man says breathlessly as he finally lifts his head up again. "Please stay with me. I have money. I could take care of you. I could make you happy."

"I have no doubt that you could make a woman very happy. But I enjoy my freedom. I wish to see the universe. That way I can continue to meet amazing individuals such as you."

"But I…," he stops as he looks into her honey eyes. Anna smiles sweetly and longingly looks up at the ceiling. He knows that he doesn't stand a chance.

Later, after a very awkward goodbye, Anna moves towards the bow of her shuttle. Reaching for the call box, she sends a wave up to her host ship. After a few seconds Tricksters face appears on the telescreen.

"Hey there pretty lady! So, you all finished up in there? Was he any good?" Trickster had no class, but Anna didn't mind it so much. She just smiles and replies that she is ready to meet up with the others. Plans are made to meet up in 30 minutes at the main docking area, and she turns off her screen and prepares to leave.

 

Dean is bored. And when he's bored he either drinks, or thinks. Neither of those things ever leads to something good, but since his work isn't done for the day he is left in the dining room cleaning his gun, and thinking.

He thinks about how his life became this. He supposes it all started when he was four and his and Sam's mother was lost in one of the first Garrison attacks on the rebel Hunters. A stray group of Garrison soldiers had decided to burn down their house, where Dean and his family were getting ready for bed. Dean doesn't remember all of it, but the parts he does remember haunt him every day of his life. He remembers his Dad placing little Sammy in his arms and telling him to get out of the house. He remembers catching a glance of his mother caught in the flames. And he remembers seeing his house going up in flames and only his father emerging a few minutes later.

His father raised both brothers with a deep hatred for the Garrison. He raised them to be soldiers on the rebel, Hunters, side. Dean never questioned this. He hated the Garrison and felt purpose when he practiced his shooting skills at age 8, or killed his first man at age 14. The war was all Dean had been raised for. It was what Sammy was raised for, even though he fought it tooth and nail.

Sammy didn't like their life of moving from planet to planet trying to gain new rebel Hunters that would fight against the Garrison. He thought that the sneaky way that the Hunters fought their battles was ineffective and too small. If they really wanted to have their voices heard, then they should invest in education and politics so that they could legally fight back instead of causing so much bloodshed. So eventually, after many years of fighting, Sammy left for law school with the intention of fighting for the rebels legal rights.

He never got that far. Right before Sam was able to get his degree, his long time girlfriend was killed in a Garrison "demonstration" attack. Sam returned to Dean's side not a few hours later and took part in his first battle in the war the next day. For a while Dean, Sam, and their father were legends among the Hunters as some of the best fighters out there. That was until their father was killed in one of the war's biggest battles. But the brothers kept fighting. One for revenge and another because he didn't know what else to do. But when the war over, and the brothers found themselves on the losing side, both of them were lost with no purpose.

Click click

Dean snapped the chamber shut on his ridiculously shiny and clean gun. He had work to do.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

The crew of the Impala poured out of the ship and into the active dock. All around them were bustling people of all shapes, sizes, and status. Vendors for all manner of things were shouting out deals and promises of having the best whatevers this side of the 'verse. It was loud, it was dirty, and it was crowded. Dean turned to his crew and hashed out his orders. He didn't want to stay here any longer than he had to.

"Listen up! Sam and Meg are with me. Gabriel, I want you to fuel her up, go shopping for any ship parts that Chuck needs and maybe pick up some food, cheap food! No funky raw fish crap like you got last time. Chuck! You are going to get us some passengers. Don't let them bully you to anything less than 12 pieces. Anna…do whatever. But everyone meet back here in 2 hours!"

As everyone started to move off to their designated missions, Trickster jokingly poked Dean and said, "Take care of your brother, Dean-o." It was said with a small amount of seriousness that caught Dean off guard. Dean watched him leave and shook his head. He would never figure that guy out.

Anna moved over to Chuck quietly suggesting that they try to get passengers together. Chuck blushed and started to ramble about the latest chapter in his book where the captain of the ship meets a stranger that would change his life.

 

Moving methodically through the crowds, Sheppard Bobby Singer tries to find the perfect ship. From all sides of him he hears deals of passage. One particularly bold crewman walks right up to him.

"Hey there grandpa! You look like you're in the market for travel! You're in luck! The Caddy here is the safest and fasted ship in the 'verse. She'll get you where you need to be in half the time! But don't worry. She is gentle too if your old heart is a little on the frail side!"

"Listen son, you need to work on your spiel. First, I ain't old enough to be a grandpa. Second, I bet that junker of yours falls apart more often than soap opera relationships. And last, I wouldn't call any part of me frail unless you want me to test it out on you. I'll find my own transport, thank you very much. Enjoy your stay here on Persephone." The not so old Sheppard walked around the stunned man and was about to continue on his way when one ship to his left caught his eye.

She was a beauty. One of the old ships that were built to last if it was cared for right. Just don't make 'em like they used to, he thought. He looked down to the ramp where he saw a extravagantly dressed woman and a grease monkey standing by a sign stating that the ship was accepting passengers for a trip to Boros. Yeah, Bobby could live with that.

"I'm going with you guys," he states as he walks up and tosses his bag at the stunned man dressed in overalls who can only stutter out, "Don…don't you want to know the price? Sp…specs?"

"Nope. I'm fine. I've got cash and something else that might be of interest to y'all. Now where am I bunking?" Anna smirks and nods for Chuck to show the man where he's staying.

 

Dean, Sam and Meg stand in a dusty room that could use better walls seeing as rays of sunlight stream through each and every crack…or bullet hole. A fancy man in a bowler hat stands behind a desk inspecting a fancy and very old fashioned colt gun. He seems pleased with it and hands it back to one of his lackeys with a nod. Then he turns to Dean.

"So you finally came," Crowley points out in a cultured voice.

"Well I've been told I have excellent endurance time," says Dean trying to lighten a very heavy mood that fills the room.

"Hmm, that wit. I've missed it, truly. But I'm not really sure why you even bothered to show up here today. My sources tell me of a Firefly ship spotted around the stolen cargo. Cargo, as I have also been informed, has every bloody morsel of it marked by the Garrison! Gorramnit, I'm not interested in your muck-ups. I don't want those goods."

"That's not fair! You are the one who sent us after it!" Sam growled at Crowley. Crowley only smirked and responded, "crime and politics sweetheart. The situation is always fluid."

Meg chose that moment to cut in. "Only fluid I see here is where I turn you to a big pile of mush if we don't get our pay!"

"Sam, Meg!" Both of them quieted, if not reluctantly when Dean called them back. "I know as well as anyone that you have plenty of connections that will take these goods for full price. So I'm thinking there is something you're not telling us. What's the matter? Don't you like me? I've been told I'm very charming and have lots of personality."

Crowley gives Dean a pitying look. "You were in the war, right? With your brother and Daddy? You were all legends. Now you're a captain of a ship! But deep down I think you're still a soldier. Still fighting the good fight, honor, bravery, and all of that soppy bullocks. But now you're in a den of thieves. And you still have that righteous attitude about you thinking your better than us. Well, I'll tell you boy. Here, I'm king. And you are just a pawn that I can move about my board to collect the other pieces to my end game. And all my pawns look just alike to me. I have no use for you at this moment. So go."

Dean stands completely still for a moment. Sam and Meg shift uncomfortably behind him. Suddenly Dean's face breaks into a big grin and says, "Maybe I'm not a king like you. With your…fancy hat, but I do fair business. Not because of some moral duty. I just find that there are less people waiting for my back to turn with a knife in their hand that way. I'll just be on my way, with my cargo and find someone who still has his balls enough to still work around the Garrison." With that Dean and his crew left the room. Crowley watched them leave with an unreadable expression.

 

"Why the hell didn't we shank that piece of slime with his fancy fountain pen?"

Meg had been voicing her displeasure over the whole meeting the entire walk back to the ship. Dean just focused on getting back to his ship. Sam also chose to ignore her and instead chose to send worried glances Dean's way every few seconds. Sam didn't know what Dean was going to do, and that always worried him.

"We would have lost that fight. He'll get what coming to him eventually. We'll have to sell the goods ourselves." Dean said in a tight voice.

"Just sell them on Boros. We can find a buyer there easy," suggested Sam.

"No, Boros is too big. Garrison soldiers are crawling all over that place. They will be looking for us there."

Sam looked panicked, "You don't think Crowley would sell us out to them!?"

Dean answered quickly, "If he hasn't already."

Meg snorted from behind, "Getting to be that a girl can't do an honest day's crime anymore."

Dean continued, "I say we just hit up one of the border planets and sell it to some sorry sods out there. I'm thinking we call up Ruby."

"No Dean. No. Are you out of your mind?! She shot you! And then threw you across the room! We can't trust her!" Sam shouts panicked.

"Un-wedge your thong, Samantha. I trust her like a baby pack of croats. We'll be cautious. But I want to get rid of this cargo before the Garrison catches us with it. We could lose the ship." As Dean says this, they are approaching the ship. They see Anna and Chuck welcoming in some new passengers. He focuses on the tall, dark skinned man being greeted by Chuck. Dean hears him introducing himself as Uriel. Dean pays him little mind after that. "We need this money if we are going to keep my baby in the air. We need fuel, we need parts, and we need food. Let's just get this done and hope for no more bumps or surprises."

Dean walks closer to the ship with a determined air about him and decided that he might as well greet his passengers. Anything to distract him from his thoughts. He sees Chuck now helping a posh looking guy move some ridiculously large boxes onto the ship. Dean smirks thinking that perhaps they caught themselves a rich fish in this puddle of a planet and perhaps there was a way to milk some more cash out of him on the 3 day trip to Boros.

As Chuck starts to move a shiny metallic box onto the dolly, the posh guy snaps at him, "Please be careful with that!" Chuck turns slightly and sees Dean approaching and quickly introduces the passenger.

"Hey Dean, this is Balthazar. Balthazar, this is Dean Winchester, our captain."

"Captain Winchester," Balthazar nods in his direction. And Dean inwardly groans at hearing another cultured voice today to only remind him of the day's less than prosperous start.

"Pleasure, Balthazar…." Dean waits for him to finish his name, but eventually gives up when he figures that's all he's going to get. Great, another guy Dean will never be able to figure out. So Dean nods back and turns to Chuck.

"This all we got?"

"Umm, well, Balthazar, a scary guy called Uriel. Oh! And a Preacher, Sheppard Bobby Singer."

"Fine. Lock it up, Sam!" And as soon as Chuck and Dean get into the ship with the last of the luggage, Sam pushes the red lock button to the side of the ramp. Closing up the ship as the hum of the engine is heard starting up the ship. Soon she lifts into the sky with a content purr that only those really looking for it can hear. And a soft rumble beneath their feet that only those who knew her best would feel.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing here. Not my characters, not my universe.

CHAPTER 4

"So, meals are here in the dining area, kitchen is right there as you can see. You can what there is at anytime, but I gotta admit, it's pretty standard fare. But we have protein cubes in all the colors of the rainbow! Sit down meals are also standard. Dinner is around 1800 hours for your first meal aboard the Impala." Dean looks around with a plastic smile on his face as he gives the penny tour of his ship. Chuck timidly speaks up, "I think Sheppard Singer said he had something to share for dinner and that he was okay with helping cook."

Dean pauses, "Sheppard, huh. Well helping cook is fine and dandy." He looks at the preacher more closely now. Dean had barely looked before, but now he sees the tell-tale collar and grey dress shirt. But upon further inspection Dean noticed the harsh expression that Dean usually cottons to soldiers or those who have lived a less cushy life. Perhaps this guy deserves some respect, Dean thought begrudgingly.

Bobby responds gruffly, "Yeah, hopefully none of ya have delicate stomachs because I have my famous chili planned for tonight. Real tomatoes included."

Every member of the crew present either groans, whimpers, or eyes widen at this. They can't remember the last time they had real veggies that didn't come from a canned mush.

Dean returns to addressing his guests after clearing his throat, "As I said, you can visit the dining hall as much as you like. Other than that, I do request you stay in the passenger dorm area. The control room, engine room, and cargo bay are all off limits without an escort."

Finally Balthazar speaks up again, "Some of my personal effects are in the cargo bay. I would rather not leave it unattended for too long."

"I figure some of you might have luggage you might want to get into. So as soon as we finish up here, one of my crew would be more than happy to fetch them with you. Anyway, one last announcement! It sucks and we are all going to have to deal, but we have been ordered by Garrison officials to drop some special supplies off in Whitefall. It's a bit out of our way on the way to Boros, but thanks to our pilot, it shouldn't be more than a day off schedule. Any comments?"

Dean looks around at the group. No one says anything. As he turns to go he sees Trickster coming down the hallway to the dining hall, his attention focused on a chart in his hands. He doesn't look up when he comes in until he bumps into Balthazar. He looks up and it seems at first that he is going to snap, or maybe apologize if he knows what's good for him, but instead he freezes like he's seen a ghost.

Balthazar barely spares him a glance as he seems a bit too distracted with his thoughts, but he does send a confused look at Trickster. Trickster blanches mumbles, "excuse me", and then moves out of the dining area faster than Dean has ever seen the prank-prone pilot move. He'll have to keep an eye on Tricky, if anything to try and get a better idea of who he is.

 

Anna comes out of her shuttle a little while later and heads towards the cargo bay where she hears voices gathered. She spots Dean leaning against the railing of the catwalk above the hold and walks over.

"Hello captain. I came to see the new faces."

"Yeah, we got some newbies around. Seem innocent enough I suppose. I bet they will be honored by your spectacular and honorable presence," Dean mutters without feeling. There was a time that he might have flirted with Anna, but he's found that his heart is never in it anymore. Sam approaches from behind.

"Hey Dean, Anna. Did I miss the tour? Trickster and I were going over the charts to Whitefall. He seemed a bit twitchy though." Sam looked a little confused by this, but turned his attention to the passengers and his expression became one of curiosity.

Anna smiled and nodded at Sam and Dean before moving down the stairs, closer to the new arrivals. She first moves towards the Sheppard.

"I see that you are settling in nicely Sheppard. Is everything to your liking?" She asks sweetly.

"Ship shape and all that. If you don't mind me asking, but what do you do on this boat? Are you married to one of the crew?"

Harsh laughter erupts from the corner of the room as Meg walks forward, and with all the grace of a lumberjack in a cocktail dress butts into the conversation.

"Barbie doll here is a whore, Sheppard."

Bobby looks a little startled. And looks to Anna for conformation.

Balthazar pipes in as well. "I believe the term is companion. I've seen my fair share of these wonderful creatures to pick one out from a distance. And you, by far, are one the fairest." He leans down and kisses Anna's hand. Bobby grunts.

Dean was listening in of course and also broke in, "She kind of acts as our ambassador. There are plenty of planets that won't even let us dock without a reputable companion on board. This gonna be a problem preacher?"

Bobby answers "Ain't my place to judge, only guide." And he nods politely to Anna and finishes getting his luggage from the floor.

Dean turns to Meg and gives her a hard glare. Meg smirks and walks out of the hold.

 

Dinner turns out to be one of the most awkward moments in all 27 years of Dean's life. The chili ain't bad though. Not to mention that the Sheppard mentioned a bottle of scotch that he was willing to share after dinner. But watching Posh Spice and Mike Tyson poke at their food in distaste, Meg smirking at Anna, Trickster looking like he was trying to hide behind Sam's bulky frame and being curiously quiet when usually you can't get the guy to shut up, even with a mouth full of food, it was just weird.

Bobby looked un-phased and just dug into his chili. It seemed like Sam and Chuck were also acutely aware of the unnatural weight in the room. Both of them were trying valiantly to keep some semblance of a conversation going. Chuck would talk about the latest chapter in his book, where a traitor was found amongst the captain's crew. And Sam would pretend to be interested and ask questions about it. And then Sam would ask about the ships engine, and then promptly not be able to understand a word that came out of Chuck's mouth after that.

Of course, Dean might have been the start of this surreal dinner, when the preacher had asked if Dean would mind if he said grace. Dean's answer had been a curt, "only if you say it out loud."

Chuck was rambling through how the water heater of the ship had several aspects to its energy conversion pistons when Balthazar who had been stabbing at his food with a bit more force than necessary, broke in.

"Is it commonplace for the government to commandeer your ship for such errands?"

"Well, what is government for but to get in a man's way," Dean said without looking up from his plate.

Uriel spoke up for the first time since Dean heard him state his name. "This is a good thing. The Garrison is providing for those less fortunate on the outer planets. I have heard of sickness and poverty running rampant on the rim planets. We are doing our leader's work."

Dean lost his appetite after that.

Chuck, ever the curious asked, "So what is it you do Balthazar?"

Trickster tensed a little and seemed to zone in on Balthazar while still remaining in Sam's shadow. Dean took note of this.

"Well, I guess you could say I was involved in trade of certain items for certain wealthy customers for a while. Now I'm looking to take my expertise to market on the outer ports. I heard Boros is a good place to find an employer. "

Well that was super cryptic, thought Dean. But Meg beat him to it.

"Sounds a little sketchy there honey. Got something else you would like to tell us? What were those special items? Weapons, slave trade?"

She wasn't able to say anymore when Dean slammed his hand on the table and said very quiet and hard, "I suggest you stop pestering our guests and take a breather in your bunk."

Meg smirked again, Dean was really beginning to hate seeing her face do that. And got up saying, "I'm not paid to cater to guests." And she headed off towards the crew quarters.

And yet another awkward moment passes and Bobby asks, "What do you pay her for?"

Dean finally looks up at Bobby and says with a dazzling smile, "She is the ships shrink."

 

Later that night Sam goes up to the control room to find Trickster absently fiddling with his action figures. He is looking at a spot on the wall unblinkingly. The soft glow of the radar screen casting an eerie green glow on his normally golden complexion. Sam's face softens.

"Hey, I noticed you were kinda quiet at dinner. Is there something wrong? If it's about the shore leave I can try to get Dean to give us some time off after we sell the goods."

Trickster sighs, "I'm fine. Just thinking about some people from another life-time. And also trying to figure out if I can pull a prank on the preacher man without Dean-o getting too mad." He finishes with a flash of a smile at Sam. A warm feeling arises in Sam's gut when he sees this. Both of them turn to look at the stars out the window in a companionable silence.

Dean is in his bunk washing his face at the small sink in the corner. For a moment he feels refreshed, but then he hears Tricksters voice come over the comm.

"Dean, you might want to get up here. Got something you wanna see."

Dean enters the control room to see Sam and Trickster focused intently on the telecom screen.

"What's up?"

"Looks like someone tried to send a wave out to hail the nearest Garrison cruiser," Trickster said, for once completely serious.

"Tell me you scrambled it?"

"Like an egg at breakfast, but some of it might have still gotten through."

"Dean?" Sam's voice broke through him and he was able to shake out of his thoughts. He knew what had happened. And he was pissed. "knulla varje öppning!" (Fuck every orifice)

Trickster grunted and stated the obvious conclusion, "We have ourselves a mole."

 

Balthazar is down in the hold again inspecting the metallic box, face very serious and worried. He gently pats the top of the box before turning slowly to walk away, to only find himself facing a very angry looking Dean.

"Forget your hair gel?" and then Dean punches him hard enough to send him to the floor holding his jaw.

"What the bloody hell is your problem?!" Balthazar slowly stands up again, his face red with anger.

"What did you tell them? What do they know!?" This time Dean grabs his fancy lapels and slams him against the nearest wall and puts his face an inch from Balthazar's.

"Are you out of your mind? What are you talking about? Who?"

"I don't have the patience for games right now. I've had a very long day. Now you are going to tell me what you told your Garrison friends," Dean snarled.

"You're a lunatic," Balthazar said while trying to struggle out of Deans grasp.

"And you're a gorramn Fed!"

"Sorry to say it boy, but I think you got the wrong man." The Sheppard's voice came from behind them. Dean turned saw Bobby looking up at the catwalk. Dean swiveled his head and saw that Uriel had a gun pointed at Dean's head. Shit.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Not mine! It's a tragedy, I know.

Notes: So, this is a reminder that this is going to be part of a series and that some…developments will happen in the next few stories. It would be a shame to try and shove all character development and relationships all into one episode. So if you are here for Destiel and smexy, then you are going to have to wait I'm afraid! Sorry .

CHAPTER 5

"Son of a bitch." Dean moved away from Balthazar and puts his hands up.

"Captain Winchester, please remove your firearms."

Dean slowly takes off his gun belt and moves his hands back up in the air. "My day just got even better it seems."

Once Uriel was satisfied he turned from Dean and pointed his gun at Balthazar instead. "Balthazar Novak, you are now under arrest. Please stand down."

Dean did a double take. This guy wasn't after him? Sweet!

"oh you want him. Is there a reward?"

"Shut up mongrel. Get on the ground now Novak!"

"Yo man, I think you better get on the ground. This guy looks a little twitchy," Dean suggests.

Balthazar slowly kneels on the ground, looking more pissed off than scared. Bobby breaks in, "I think everyone here could calm down a little. And I don't think them guns are necessary. He's on a boat, where is he going to run to?"

Uriel shouts back at them, "All of you shut the hell up. Do you think I am slow? You're carrying a fugitive in your ship and you think I actually believe you are bringing supplies to Whitefall?! As far as I know, all of you are criminals!" As he says this he starts waving the gun back and forth between the three of them.

"Hey, calm the fuck down and stop waving that thing around before someone gets hurt!"

"I think we should talk about this rationally."

"I've got a cruiser on its way here! It can arrive any minute!"

And around this time the noise draws all others on the ship to the hold. Now voices are heard everywhere and Uriel looks even more panicked.

"Dean!"

"Balthazar!"

"Captain what's going on!?"

"Jeez, I leave for a while and come back to everyone freaking out!"

"Captain!?"

"Oh my goodness! What are you thinking!?"

"All of you scum, stand down or I will shoot!"

"You shoot anyone on this boat—"

"Dean!" Sam's voice rings out again from beside him and Balthazar. And suddenly—

Bang

Silence falls over the hold. Dean's eyes roam over each of his crew, finally falling on Sam and his heart crumbles. Sam is looking down at his hands that have just come off of his gut. They are red. Covered in blood.

"Dean?" And Sam starts to fall.

Two voices ring out calling Sam's name and Dean and Trickster dive for him.

Meg immediately comes up behind Uriel and clocks him with the butt of her favored knife. She goes to stab him, but Chuck grabs her hand and shakes his head. "If we kill him then we are really screwed."

"Fine, Chucky. I'll just tie him up. I'll just interrogate him later. Gently of course."

Meanwhile Dean's world is crashing down around him. He holds his hands over Sam's gut trying to keep as much of the blood in as possible. Every second more still pumps out over his hands despite his efforts.

"C'mon Sammy. Hang in there. Don't you dare die on me! Tricky, where is the nearest planet with a hospital?"

Trickster has gone white and holds Sam's head gently. He looks up at Dean and shakes his head. He knows that even if there was a planet an hour away instead of their current 10 hours, it would be too late. But his hand starts to drift towards Sam's wound slowly….

"Let me through boy. I have some medical training. Maybe I can do something." Bobby tries to push his way past the distraught Dean.

"No offense there preacher, but I don't think a healing prayer is going to fix this," Balthazar's voice drifts from somewhere over Dean's shoulder. Anna is pulling off her shawl and wrapping as much of Sam as possible to keep him warm.

"No yea idjit, I was a trained medic. I can maybe give him more time for us to reach a hospital."

Dean finally budged after that and let Bobby through. Trickster's hand moved back up behind Sam's head.

 

Bobby went to work. Chuck had come back from the clinic with the first aid kit and stretcher, and Sam was stabilized and then moved to the clinic. He was hooked up to all sorts of things. Machines beeped and whined, and Bobby worked diligently while Dean paced outside of the room. All the others looked on from the stairs. Trickster, Meg and Uriel were nowhere to be seen.

Bobby finally emerged with a grim look. "He's got a few hours left, but as I recall, we are a bit further out from any planet than a few hours." He looked pointedly at Dean. Dean sucked in a deep breath and let is out in a quick blow. Trickster's voice came over the comm. "Dean, there is a Garrison cruiser coming up on radar headed right for us."

Balthazar started to panic. "You have to change course. Run!"

"Why the fuck would I do that! I don't owe you a damned thing! You got my brother shot!" Dean was fuming.

"Because you have stolen cargo as well. And you also have an assaulted fed being "interrogated" by your attack bitch. Do you really think that they will allow you to get your brother to a hospital before they search every inch of this ship?!"

This just made Dean even angrier. Mostly because the jerk was right. "Trickster. Change course. Get us out of here. Do whatever you have to. Now I'm going to see what it is that you are "trading" that is so important that my brother has to die for it." And with that, Dean started towards the hold.

"What are you—No!" And Balthazar hurries after him. The others all follow.

He tears through the crates with his eyes set on the large metallic one that Balthazar seemed so concerned about. He reaches it only to have Balthazar's arms reach around him and pull him back. "Stay away from that!" Dean turns and punches him in the same spot on his jaw that he had hit earlier that night. While Balthazar was stunned on the ground from the hit, Dean brought his attention back to the box.

It was fancy looking, with a control pad with all sorts of numbers and blinking lights. Dean paid them little mind and started pressing the buttons that looked like they might open the top. Finally he was rewarded with a hiss from the box, a lifting of the top and a cloud of some kind of vapor gas pouring from the top.

Trickster emerges from the back at this point; he must have evaded the cruiser and came to see what the commotion was about.

Dean peers over the top as the vapor slowly dissipates. Eventually he starts to see a form in the bottom. It dawns on him then that he is looking at a body. A very naked body of a young man.

Dean stares at the form for a while and finally makes a noise.

"huh."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Sniff…sniff. Characters do not belong to me.

CHAPTER 6

Balthazar finally got his feet underneath himself and stumbled towards the box, pushing an immobile Dean out of the way.

"Damn you! He wasn't supposed to be woken up yet! He could go into shock you maniac."

"The shock of what? Waking up? Figuring out that he is destined to become some sick son of a bitch's boy toy! Oh wait, is this one yours? Are you betrothed? Cause we have a Sheppard right here who could—", Dean was cut off as a high pitched wail filled the hold, deafening everyone present. Everyone grabbed for their ears to make sure they didn't fly off. The Impala's very walls vibrated threateningly.

The source of the sound was located when the head of the man in the cryo box appeared. It was him making that noise! Before anyone could react to this discovery, the man scrambled out and tumbled onto the ground and started backing up against the nearest crate, still making that awful shriek. Dean finally gets a decent look at him….all of him, but he is mostly drawn to the wild and wide blue eyes filled with pure terror. Their eyes met for the briefest of moment, but the moment was broken when Dean's view was cut off by Balthazar moving up to the man and grabbing his shaking shoulders.

"Cassy! Castiel! Look at me, look at me! It's all okay, I'm right here. It's okay Cassy. Shh shhh." Balthazar was finally able to get the man, Castiel, to stop screaming. His breathing started to even out a bit, even if it was still a bit sped up. He started to look around him while finally speaking to Balthazar.

"Balthazar? Where…where are we? They wanted to…to make me—"

"Shh Cassy, it's over. They're gone and we are safe now, okay? We are safe here." Balthazar pointedly looked at Dean as he said the last part.

Castiel's eyes were still frantically roaming around the hold, each crew member he laid eyes on; he seemed to stare into their souls with their intensity. But then he spotted Trickster who had been standing so still, never taking his eyes off of Castiel. The shaking man's face scrunched up in confusion.

"G…Gabriel?" stuttered out Castiel.

Balthazar turned his attention to the pilot in the back of the group, and his eyes widened before his whole face darkened.

"Gabriel. It's been a while. I hardly recognized you, brother."

Now Dean had had enough. There was some messed up shit going on and he wanted answers. "What the hell is going on!?" demanded Dean.

Balthazar looked like he was going to answer, but Trickster, Gabriel?, beat him to it.

"Well Dean-o, these are my brothers."

 

Everyone had moved back to the clinic and stood outside of its entrance at Dean's insistence because he didn't want to be too far from Sam. Only Meg wasn't present because she decided that the fed needed looking after. Castiel had been led to the clinic as well and put on one of the counter beds on the side of the clinic to rest. He sat there now with a blanket around his shoulders to help stop his shivering. They had also assembled some clothes that included cargo pants, a long sleeved shirt that was way too big and showed a bit of collar bone, and the most ridiculous trench coat that had been Chuck's contribution. He was looking at Sam intently, unblinkingly. It was kinda creepy, thought Dean. But he turned from the eerie tableau, and focused on the newly re-united brothers standing across from one another. Balthazar looked like he wanted nothing more than to tear out Trickster's eyes and make him eat them. Gabriel was switching his attention from Castiel to Sam and back.

Bobby was the first to shatter the silence with a gruff, "So does anyone feel like sharing whatever the hell is going on around this nuthouse?"

Balthazar broke in first this time, cutting off Trickster. "My name is Balthazar Novak. The one from the box is my little brother, Castiel Novak. And this here is Gabriel, my older brother who for the last 12 years, we thought was dead." He glared at Gabriel while saying this, never once looking away. "It's your entire fault that we are in this mess, Gabriel. You know that Cassy would look for you! How could you not tell us you were still alive! You don't even know what he has gone though for the last five years. He's different. He's broken. They tore apart our baby brother, and you are responsible."

Gabriel finally spoke up, "I know exactly what they did to him because they did the same to me! I left because I had to. I did it to protect you, both of you! I couldn't go back. No matter how much I wanted to, I could never go back!"

Dean decided it was time to mediate. This was getting nowhere. "Okay, let's catch the rest of the class up to your reading level guys. Start from the beginning. What happened 12 years ago?"

Trickser, no, Gabriel started. "It should start more than 12 years ago. Try 27, when Castiel was born; our sweet baby brother with a heart big enough to swallow the 'verse. Too much heart was always his problem though. Our mother died early on and our father was always busy with his projects, so Balthy and me raised Castiel together. We were very close. We were also very…loyal. To family. So whenever we heard from Pops, we did whatever he asked. Now I'm no angel, but I would have done anything for Dad. So when Dad tells us about this program, called The Host, I signed up right away even though it would require me to go away for a while. I was 22 and leaving behind my 19 and 15 year old brothers behind.

This program wasn't some special business boosting course that I thought it might be. It was some special experimentation compound. And we were the experiments."

The faces around the room blanched at this. Human experimentation was always bad.

He continued, "I was one of their favorites. For seven years my body was a playground for those sick minds. Until I overheard something that broke my heart and let me know that I could never go home again. After that I escaped. I had been downplaying my new skills casting an illusion for the scientists. Just so that they didn't know that they stupidly gave me the tools to get out. I'm sure security was bumped up a bit after I got out, (he glanced at Balthazar with a look of respect) but I chose to disappear after that. I used my tricks to become someone else, and get a job on a Firefly ship and…the rest is history."

He had a sarcastic smile on his face for the whole story. Balthazar seemed to deflate a little, but still wouldn't look his brother in the eye when he started up his side of the story.

"After Gabriel left we never heard from him. And not too long after we stopped hearing from our Father."

Gabriel lifted his gaze to his brother sharply.

"We assumed that both of you were dead. I admit to become a bit of a derelict after that. I gambled away most of our father's fortune and probably caused Cassy a bit more stress than someone his age should have to deal with. I was angry. I got into some shady dealings when the money was gone. I started in special item trading that was a bit less than honest. I still had Castiel with me though. I would never abandon a brother.

But I didn't watch him carefully enough. He had started to look for our father and Gabriel. He wanted the family back together. I only took notice of his activities when he left a note for me saying he had signed up for the program to try and find out what had happened to Gabriel."

A groan was heard from Gabriel at this. Dean could understand. He would punch Sam for doing something so reckless and stupid. His heart panged with this thought and he spared a glance into the clinic at the too still body of his brother.

"I guess that Castiel in there got the same treatment you did, and then some." Bobby directed his question to Gabriel. Gabriel could only shake his head in sadness and regret. Chuck spoke up, completely wrapped up in Balthazar's story, "So what did you do?"

"I didn't hear anything from Castiel after that note, so I knew that something was horribly wrong. So I used the money and connections I had gained from my dealings and I figured out how to break him out of there. It took me five years to do it though. I only got him out a week ago. And…the rest is history." He spared Gabriel a soft smirk at the familiar phrasing.

Anna was the next to speak, "Will he be okay? I mean, what did they do to him?"

Before anyone could answer, an alarm sounded from inside the clinic. One of the machines attached to Sam was going off. Dean ran to his brother's side not caring what had happened to the youngest Novak. Bobby started reading the machine, his expression grave. Dean knew what it meant. Sam was dying and there was no time left.

Each person in the vicinity looked to their feet sending out their prayers. No one noticed Castiel getting down from his bed and softy stepping towards the table that held Sam. Dean was lost in his agony. He was going to lose Sam, and Dean had failed to protect him. It was his job to protect Sam. He had failed his family again. With Dean's emotions swirling around him, he barely registered that Castiel had come up beside him. He turned to Dean and said in a rough but surprisingly gentle voice, "I can try to heal him."

He started to reach out for the bandages, but Dean grabbed his arm. Castiel sent him a confused look, pulled his arm free and reached for the bandage again. Dean was far too distraught to put the effort into stopping him again. When Castiel's hand touched Sam he sucked in a deep breath and then held it while his face became one of intense concentration.

Sweat broke out on his face and his face paled. After a few moments his held breath came out in a large burst and he started gasping like he had run a marathon. Meanwhile the alarm attached to Sam stopped it's beeping. Dean looked startled between Sam, Bobby, and Castiel. Sam started to shift on the table. A huge smile broke out on Dean's face when his brother's eyes peaked open.

"Hey there sleeping beauty. Welcome back to the world of the living." Dean's smile was threatening to split his face in two. Sam's answering smile was enough for everyone in the room to let out the breath they had been holding. Dean's gaze was drawn away by Bobby pulling back the bandages around Sam's middle where a slightly less terrifying wound was left behind. It was still bad, but the blood had stopped gushing out. Dean switched to look at Castiel just in time to see his knees buckle under him and to somewhat slow down his fall to the floor.

From his spot on the ground holding Castiel, Dean saw Gabriel stepped closer to Sam and murmured, "I'll handle the rest baby bro." And he moved his hands towards the wound for the second time that night.

Once in contact the lips of the wound seemed to pull themselves together and the blood disappeared until all that was left was a slightly pink area of new tissue. Gabriel stepped back looking tired and drawn, but he remained vertical.

Only Chuck could figure out what to say after that.

"What just happened?"

 

At Anna's suggestion, the group moved to the dining area. She thought it was more calming an area than the clinic where Sam almost died. Meg was still absent and Dean was thinking that maybe he should be checking on her soon.

Castiel was propped up on the couch in the corner between Gabriel and Balthazar. He seemed to be contently snoozing away. Chuck was quietly telling Sam of what had happened while he was out. Sam's eyes kept bugging out as the story went on, his sight falling on Gabriel many times with a surprised and hurt expression.

Dean's gaze was bouncing back and forth between Sam and Castiel. His heart was almost ripped from his chest only to be put back in place by the man who now looked like a kid who fell asleep in the backseat of a transcar. But now that Dean's world hadn't ended, he needed to focus on the other catastrophes at hand.

"Tricky…Gabriel, whoever you are, are we safe from the cruiser?"

"As of right now we are about as safe as condoms one month past expiration day. We might be protected we might not, but we are still screwed either way. We need to land soon so that Chuck and I can work on the engine. If we are firing on all cylinders, we stand a chance" Gabriel said with his long absent snarky attitude. Dean appreciated it simply because it was nice to have something even a little familiar.

Balthazar spoke next, "Can I trust that you are not going to turn us in? Cause now that you have a fed trussed up like a turkey and your lackey carving him up for dinner, I think you might be in a tight place as well if you were found with fugitives in your hold…as well as those stolen goods you have chilling down there ( he says with a knowing smirk)."

With a big sigh Dean shook his head, "No one is turning in anybody. We go to Whitefall as planned. Sell of said goods, and you and your brother can get off there."

"Ya can't just leave them there, boy! Do I need to talk to you all about charity?" Bobby pointed out. For such a gruff guy, it was starting to look like he was just a big softy.

"I agree. They need help Dean! And if…Gabriel is also from this Host thing then they have been looking for him for a while. If he has been able to keep off the radar screen that long, then what's two more? You owe them. They saved your brother's life!" Anna said sharply, but not without her usual grace. But Dean wasn't about to be pushed around by them.

"Sam wouldn't have been shot in the first place if it weren't for them!"

Meg chose that moment to saunter in. She saw Sam sitting there completely whole. She only raised an eyebrow.

"So it seems that he only delivered a location to his Garrison friends. He wanted the credit and reward for himself so he was trying to keep it all hush hush until he was picked up. But he has seen all of our faces. He can ID each of us. We need to get rid of him." She was piercing Dean with her gaze for the delivery of the news.

Chuck panicked, "Wait. Do you mean, kill him? We can't do that. Sheppard, there is something in the bible about that, right? We're not supposed to do that! Can we vote on that?"

"Don't be insane Meg! Dean…." Anna seemed appalled at all that was happening.

"I will not sit by here while you brats kill a man!"

"Yeah preacher. What's an old man like you going to do to stop us. You are on this boat to, Garrison won't see you as innocent, even with that fancy collar you got" Meg was starting to piss Dean off.

"There will be no gorramn vote here. One, we are not killing anyone! Two, We do not vote on my ship because my ship is not the gorramn town hall!" Dean shouted. "Everyone shut the hell up! I'm making this up as we go along. But I know that we are not killing anyone."

Gabriel breaks back in angrily, "You know as well as I do that they won't survive a day in Whitefall. You throw them out, you are finding yourself a new pilot. Good luck out running the Garrison without me." Balthazar shifted from his position to look over at his brother with bit more warmth. Like from dry ice, to…normal ice.

"Will everyone shut the fuck up!" Dean was losing control here, and everyone had started shouting again.

"Did you know that a cat's penis is sharply barbed? I know for a fact that the females were not consulted on that."

Everyone finally quieted and looked over to a groggy Castiel who was currently rubbing his eyes of sleep. But the wayward comment did the trick and everyone calmed down a bit. Castiel just looked around with wide innocent eyes.

Dean clears his throat. "Okay, emotions are running a bit high. I don't think that any big decisions should be made this second. Now, Gabriel, unclench your buns and just get us to Whitefall. I have a trade to prep for. Meg, Sam, let's get ready.


	7. Chapter 7

Notes: I'm trying to add a lot more Castiel into the story than his reflected character of River. The firefly show was flawless in how it balanced its characters out, but I think everyone wants more Castiel. =)

Disclaimer: Supernatural and Firefly ain't mine.

CHAPTER 7

Balthazar was looking at his comp pad while Castiel slept in the bed behind them in the passenger's quarters. His little brother kept on falling into deep sleeps, and it was slightly worrying. But Cassy looked peaceful enough. It gave time for Balthazar to think about the developments of the last few hours.

He had gotten both of his brothers back. Granted they were both very different then the brothers he remembered, but bits and pieces were still there. Gabriel's snarky attitude was still there. And the compassion that once shown through his eyes when playing with his little brothers, that were still there too. He had glimpsed it when he had looked at Castiel sleeping in the dining area. And he had also seen it when Gabriel looked at Sam.

His little brother was another flood of emotions. Balthazar didn't like thinking about how Castiel had changed. Cassy was always so…intense and focused. Gabe and he used to love how Cassy was clueless in social graces, and how innocent he was in so many other aspects. They might have teased Castiel on how stiff he was, but Balthazar would give anything to have that back.

The dreamy look that swam in his brother's eyes whenever he was awake seemed so unnatural and so…not Castiel. It hurt to see. Balthazar didn't want to think about what it took to get Castiel to this state. Gabriel knew more than he did. Maybe finding his older brother is more of a blessing if he could help glue their baby brother back together.

But there were bigger problems at hand. What was he going to do to protect them from the fed, from the Garrison, from Dean? Perhaps I should find out more about the captain, thought Balthazar. He looked up Impala on the encyclopedia. He had heard the name before somewhere and it was bothering him. It read:

In the war to unite the planets, The  
Battle Of Impala Canyon was among the most  
devastating and decisive. Located on  
Hera, the canyon was considered a key  
position by both sides, and was  
bitterly fought over.  
The Independent Faction, with sixteen  
brigades and twenty air-tank squads,  
held the valley against Garrison  
forces for almost two months, until  
superior numbers and a brilliant deep-  
flank strategy by General Azaz –

"What does it say in there about bloodbath?" Sam's voice came suddenly from behind. Balthazar startled a bit and turned around with a guilty expression. Nearly half a million people lay dead on that field by the end of the battle, about a third of them 'winners'. Can you imagine the smell? Can you imagine piling up the bodies of soldiers -of friends - to build a wall 'cause there is no cover? Blood just kept pouring out of them, you'd slip in it  
half the time, and you find out bloodbath is not just a figure of speech."

"Dean was there with you, right?"

"He and my dad were in command of thirty-odd grunts - five days in, there were so many officers dead he commanded two thousand. Kept us together, kept us fighting, kept us sane. By the time the fighting was over he had maybe four hundred still intact. By the end of it all he had about a hundred and fifty left, and of our original platoon, just me. Faith, innocence, trust... Those are things he left back there. What he has now is the ship, the ship and us on it. He won't kill unless he's you give him a reason."

"Why would he name his ship after such a place?"

"He won't let himself forget." Sam finished and walked out, closing the door quietly as to not wake the man sleeping in the bed.

 

The proximity alarm was blaring through the control room when Dean walked in.

"I thought you said we were safe."

"I said we might be safe. And it's not the cruiser. It's some funky Trans-U model. Haven't seen one of those tanks floating around for years."

"I thought those didn't operate anymore."

"They don't."

"Get me a visual now." Dean's voice had gone hard.

"I don't have much but, I'm picking up a lot of radiation...they're burning without core  
containment. Well, that's dumb. Why…..oh shit." Gabriel closed his eyes and rubbed his face with his hand. He and Dean knew what that meant. Only Dean was able to voice it though.

"Croats."

 

Balthazar stood keeping watch over his little brother. Sam and Bobby were in the dining area talking in low voices. Chuck was in the engine room tinkering to calm his nerves. Meg was having a staring contest with Uriel while she twirled a knife. But the temporary calm was lost when Dean's voice came over the comm.

"This is your captain. We are about to pass a ship. Looks like croats. Judging by the size of the ship, probably a raiding party."

 

Anna is in her shuttle and as she hears the calls, she sits on her bed her hand held up to her heart. Back on the bridge Gabriel sits quietly next to Dean as the announcement continues. His face was disturbingly serious. Dean continued his announcement.

"Could be they already have dinner plans. Could be they are still full from their last party. So everyone chill. Sam, bridge."

 

Sam and Bobby both stand up and start walking to the bridge. Balthazar emerges from around the corner looking confused with a still very sleepy looking Castiel behind him.

"I don't understand. What's going on? It is the Garrison?"

Sam and Bobby looked surprised. "You ain't heard of croats?" Bobby asked.

"Just stories really, fairytales. Men gone savage at the edge of space. Stuff parents use to get their kids to clean out the closet."

"They aren't stories," Sam stated firmly. Balthazar's stomach dropped. Behind him, his brother spoke up.

"So, can I ask the plan?" asks Castiel with a small smile on his face.

Bobby huffs, "No plan. If they get on this ship it's best to just swallow your gun. If they take the ship, they'll rape us to death, eat our flesh and sew our skins into their clothing and if  
we're very very lucky, they'll do it in that order."

Balthazar pales and pulls his brother closer to his side. Castiel tilts his head like he's listening to something and then smiles softly.

"Those racing dogs are so miserable chasing the white rabbit around. They only think in ovals." With that comment, Castiel moved back towards the passenger's quarters. Balthazar follows him after a moment's pause.

 

Sam entered the bridge behind Dean quietly. Gabriel looked in his direction and nodded, and Sam just gave a short nod in return before looking away. Bobby had come in to stand next to Dean and watch the ship in the window drift by. Five of the longest, tensest, and torturous minutes past when Gabriel finally reported, "It's holding course. We're in the clear captain."

Everyone let out a relieved breath.

"Guess they weren't hungry," joked Bobby.

"That was too close. My sky is getting a bit too crowded lately," Dean huffed out.

 

"Here's the deal fed. I am in a really nasty sandwich between savage monsters and savage flesh eating monsters. I don't like the idea of dealing with either of them, cause honestly I don't know which I like less. But I have one of theirs right here now. Question is, which set of monsters do I hand you over to?" Dean was leaning into the tied up Uriel's face, close enough that there was no way for Uriel to look away.

"Do you know how much trouble you are in?" Uriel asked.

"Well gee whiz friend, I've never been in trouble with the law before," Meg sneered from behind.

"Not like this you haven't. You think that the package that man is carrying is just a…"

"A naked guy? Yeah, we know, kinda cute too. In a crazy, traumatized way." Dean smirked.

"That boy is a precious commodity. They will come for him. They will find him. And they will destroy anything that stands in their way. Here, let me put this forward. He is worth a lot of money. A lot. If you kill me, you get nothing. I heard you talking about saving your ship. He's your chance." And Uriel leans back smiling.

"Not interested. I'll be back when I decide what to do with you. Meg, watch this dick." And Dean walks off.

Meg waits until Dean is down the hallway before closing the door on her and Uriel. She turns to him with a satisfied look.

"So the littlest angel is worth some cash? Let's talk money honey."

Uriel returns the smile.

 

He spots his brother leaning against the rail on the catwalk looking off into nothing. Dean takes a moment to remind himself that Sam is still here, and the blood and gore he had seen earlier was behind them. He would protect Sam for sure this time. He wouldn't fail, and he wouldn't force Castiel to do it for him. Sam didn't need a fugitive guardian angel looking after him, Sam had Dean. You can only trust family in this world.

"Hey Sammy, how you feeling?"

"Shiny. Confused. Nervous….More confused than anything though. I gotta say, this is one of the most messed up nights of our messed up existences. I'm still processing that guy, um, Castiel. I mean he fixed me. Gabriel too. How did they do that?"

"Dunno Sammy, ain't about to look a gift horse in the mouth at this point."

"But you are considering kicking them off the ship Dean. They saved my life. Castiel didn't have to. Gabriel only healed me when Castiel couldn't finish, but he did help. You need to remember that. This whole thing is nobody's fault Dean." Sam had his puppy eyes working in full effect.

"I know exactly whose fault it is, Sammy."

Suddenly Castiel's voice sounded from behind. He was walking towards them, but his eyes never moved from Dean's."You are a good man, Dean Winchester. You look after people. But you have to have faith in people too. Have faith in yourself." The sudden appearance startled the two brothers. But Dean was more stunned by his words. He sounded so sure in this. He sounded almost sane, but Dean wasn't going to let himself get lost in that sincere gaze.

"Where did you come from? Your brother know you're out and about?"

"I put Balthazar to sleep. He looked tired."

Dean and Sam weren't sure what he meant by that, but they just chose to play along.

"Maybe you should go watch over him for a while. I'm sure he will be worried if he wakes up and you are gone," Sam reasoned. Castiel finally broke his unblinking gaze on Dean to look to Sam.

"You are right Sam. He would believe that Dean had handed me over to the Garrison and would probably stab him several times before I could get to him. That would be most distressing." Castiel said this with a very serious look on his face before smiling broadly to Dean and Sam before walking (skipping!?) to the passenger's quarters. Sam left too, probably to make sure he found his way back. As they left, Dean just shook his head. As weird as this guy was, Dean couldn't help but feel a messed up kind of affection for him. He was a lot less of a dick than his two brothers anyway.

Gabriel's usual saunter looked a little hesitant to anyone who knew him for the last five years. Dean never claimed to know him, but he knew enough to know that Gabriel's equilibrium had been fucked to hell at this point and he was trying to find balance again. Like usually his approaches were announced with a greeting of "Dean-o" "Deanarino" "Dean-Bean" or "Captain Tight Pants". This time he didn't say anything until he reached his captains side.

"So can I be privy to your plan for my brother's, Cap?"

"You need to see something here Gabe. Everyone on this ship has a life of some nature. And those lives can be snatched away in a second because of that fed. Do you know how to save everyone? Cause I got to tell you man, I don't even know where to begin." He looked hard at Gabriel and used Castiel's technique of never breaking eye contact to get the point across. It seemed to work, and Gabriel finally caved.

"I don't know how," Gabriel bit out.

"Well as I see it, when it comes time, someone is going to have to stand up and take charge and clean up this mess. That should be you, but I don't think you have the guts. You leave your brothers alone and then don't even try to warn them of danger. You are one dick-less son of a bitch. And you are out of time." Gabriel looked up sharply at this.

"What do you mean?"

"Sam's dead." And Dean walks away. Gabriel runs towards Sam's bunk. Then to the clinic. Finally he comes to the passenger's quarters. All the time he's thinking, "What happened? How? Why?" And then he sees Sam with Bobby listening to a wildly gesturing Castiel as he tells some story or another. His little brother turns to him and waves. Sam and Bobby look up, and awkwardly follow his example and wave. Relief poured out of Gabriel.

"Well played Dean. Well played."


	8. Chapter 8

Note: This is my try at crazy Cas. I'm going to play him at two different kinds of "crazy" in this series. There is "dreamy" Crazy where he rambles and says funny things, and then "emotional" crazy, like outbursts and such. Much like River did, but Cas will seem far more sane in many scenes because I want Dean to catch an idea of what Castiel used to be like. It didn't seem right to have Dean start falling for a guy who was a complete nut case without having some clue as to who Cas really was/is. Also I'm trying for Cas to become more mentally stable as the series goes on. So keep that in mind! There are plans for that ;)

Disclaimer: Like always, I don't own these characters or any of the Firefly like aspects.

CHAPTER 8

Later on that night Gabriel called Dean to the bridge. They had received a wave from Ruby. Finally it was time to get rid of the cargo that was turning out to be way too much more trouble than Dean had signed up for. Once on the bridge, Gabriel pulled up her image on the telescreen. The face of a young blonde woman appeared. Dean's insides squirmed at the sight of it.

"Hello Dean, I hear you have some treats for me." Straight to the point, Dean could respect that at least.

"You bet your hydrogen peroxide. Three crates worth. I'll want 200 pieces for the lot."

She let out a low whistle. "That's a bit high Deany. I don't know if I have enough hidden away. How about I take it from you for 150?"

"You're breaking my balls sweetheart. I can just as easily move onto Three Hills."

"All right. Fine, you win. You got what I need. But I'm cross with you, stabbing me in the back in my time of need. You're not gettin' a kiss, don't even bother begging. I prefer Sammy anyway."

"I'll let him bear that burden."

"Party pooper. Let's meet at 900 hours. I'll send you the deets in a moment. Don't be late or you can forget the deal."

Dean didn't honor her with a response and had Gabriel shut down the connection.

"You know it's a trap, right Cap?" Gabriel made it sound like he was reminding Dean that Ruby loved French fries. That it was just an integral part of her persona. Which it totally was. Dean snorted and nodded.

"Yeah, she is gonna screw us seven ways to Sunday given the chance."

"She did cave kinda fast to the price. We moving on?"

"Nope. This cargo is burning a hole in my ship. I want it gone. We deal. And if there is a God out there, we might just survive this thing."

Dean left the bridge to go prepare.

 

The vast dessert area might have been pretty if Dean wasn't so focused on the job at hand. He always regretted not really getting a chance to see all that the universe had to offer since he was always to set upon his jobs, or the war, or his family. Perhaps I should make time for a vacation some time? Dean laughed to himself a bit. Like he would ever be able to relax. There was too much bad going on everywhere. If he let his guard down he might lose what little he had left. Like he had almost done earlier that day. With that thought he scanned the land around him, looking for any sign of trouble. Sam stood next to him looking straight ahead to where they believed Ruby would emerge from.

"This place is perfect for an ambush, you know that right?" Sam sounded less than impressed at the situation. He hated Ruby. She had betrayed them one too many times and had even hurt Dean. This was beyond stupid in Sam's opinion.

"That it is, Sammy." Dean smiled at bit at his brother. Meg approached from behind. She looked a bit pissed, but then again, she never looked all that happy anyway.

"There. Crates are buried. And I want a bonus for the harsh manual labor. I'm going to need it to buy new clothes for the ones that I just ruined." She started patting down her shirt to try and dislodge the dirt that had settled there. Dean just ignored her.

"Well, if we know how Ruby thinks, and we do know how she thinks, then she knows that we buried it. So I bet she is going to try and get the location out of us by giving us a false sense of security. She'll have the money out as a sign of good faith. When she gives it to us, we give her the location, and then we all get shot to hell by her neighborhood friendly snipers." Dean looks around, knowing that the snipers are probably already in place and watching them. The thought is less than comforting. He turns back to Meg and nods at her and she nods back and heads off with her beloved knife in hand.

"You know she still has the advantage, right?" Of course Sam would feel the need to remind him of that.

"Yeah, but this is what makes it more exciting and makes for better bar stories to tell chicks." His 1000 watt smile does nothing to make Sam feel better.

 

Meanwhile, back on board the Impala, Bobby is moving towards the room holding Uriel. He has a tray of food in his hands. He knocks on the door.

"Hey mister. I've got some food for you. No sense you starving to death if we stick to the plan of not shooting you." Even though Bobby was careful opening the door, he was not prepared for a chair to come crashing down on his head. As he lands on the floor, Bobby groans and tries to get up, only to have Uriel bash him on the head with the tray that had held the food.

Once Uriel was sure that the preacher was out, he quickly scans around for anyone who might have heard the commotion. Seeing that he was undetected, he looked back at Bobby. He hit his head three more times, his face full of pent up rage and spite, and then started dragging the bloodied preacher into the room. Once he had deposited him, Uriel cautiously moved further into the ship.

 

Back on Whitefall, Ruby and three other men on horseback. Ruby has a friendly look on her face that reminds Dean of a snake.

"Well, if it isn't the Winchester brothers! Can't tell you how happy I am that we get to work together again. It's been a while."

"Wish I could say the same Ruby. Now enough small talk and let's get down to business. I don't know about you, but I've got more important things to deal with right now." His serious tone conveyed his displeasure at the situation.

"Jeez Dean, way to skip the foreplay, but fine. Let's get started."

Meg has been prowling around the landscape in a wide circle around the meeting place. During her stroll, she just happened upon several snipers aiming at her captain. Smirking to herself, she snuck up on each one of them. Her knife was dripping red by the time she had finished her leisurely walk.

She then takes up one of the now dead sniper's position and gun. Looking down the scope she sees Dean and Sam, but she focuses the sight on Dean's head. She giggles to herself.

"So where is my cargo, Dean?" Gorramn how he hated the sound of her voice.

"You won't know until my wallet is 200 pieces heavier." Next to him, Sam shifts half an inch. He was ready.

Ruby laughs and Dean wants to rip off her pretty face. "Oh, come on Dean! Am I supposed to just have faith that you have the goods?" Dean scoffs and tosses her one of the bricks from the crates.

She laughs when she gets a look at it. "No wonder you are so desperate to get rid of it. It's marked!"

"That's why it's 200 and not 500. But they goods are still good. You have my word."

It is her turn to scoff. She pulls out a purse that jingles promisingly with a sour face and tosses it to Dean.

"So where is my load?"

 

Castiel is watching Chuck work in the engine room. He had finally gotten away from Balthazar to explore the new environment. He felt it safe to leave his brother's side as Dean was not on the ship for his brother to kill if Castiel was found missing. So naturally it was the perfect time to look around.

There was a warm humming that reminded Castiel of honey bees happily buzzing around flowers. He decided that he wanted to see the origin of such a wonderful and calming sound. The hum led him to what appeared to be the ships heart, pumping life into the rest of the metal body. There was a warm glow coming from the heart that warmed his skin like no artificial sun had ever done before. He basked in the glow for a while with his eyes closed. Then he started to hum along with the heart, trying to sync up with and memorize the pitch.

Eventually his humming drew the attention of the small man clunking around under the heart. He seemed startled, and nervous at seeing Castiel there. But it seemed to Castiel that the nervousness was just part of his normal being and chose to ignore it.

"Hey there, Castiel. What…what are you doing?"

"I wanted to see the bees," he answered dreamily. "I couldn't find them, but then again, there are no flowers anywhere on this ship. But this is very satisfying." He continued his humming with his eyes closed. He liked this ship, thought Castiel. It was amazing how a hunk of metal could be such a warm and comforting home. No wonder Dean glowed whenever he thought of his ship.

Suddenly Castiel opened his eyes and looked panicked at Chuck. Very confused, Chuck asked, "What's wrong Castiel?"

Then Uriel comes crashing into the engine room and grabs Castiel from behind. The blue eyed man's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to scream, but Uriel shoved a greasy cloth into his mouth.

"Don't think I don't know about your soprano singing trick," He grunts into Castiel's ear. A gun is pulled out from behind his back and he points it to Chuck and then to Castiel's head. "If you make a single noise, I will not hesitate to ventilate your chest." And with those parting words, Uriel dragged a whimpering Castiel away. Chuck fell to his knees and struggled to control his racing heart.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own anything here =(

CHAPTER 9

"…hang a left there and then it's about 30 paces. You'll see where it was buried," Dean finished.

"And I'll have my goods. Well then, been a pleasure as always Winchester."

"Sure." Dean was ready to move on.

"Hmm." Ruby looked a little impatient herself. But both parties remained where they were. The awkward pause got to Dean first.

"Well this has all been a real hoot, but I would appreciate you guys…you know, going away now." Sam shifted nervously at Dean's side. Ruby and her men didn't budge. A small twisted smile started to form on her face.

"You see Dean, I would love to get going, but you happen to be holding a lot of money in your hand, and I seem to be holding a lot of advantage here. It would be a real shame for me to just ignore that and move on. So I'm going to have to ask you to hand back the money. I'm sure you understand." She and her men all pull out guns and point them at the brothers.

Dean tried to make his face look as angry as possible as he tossed the coin bag back to Ruby.

"There's no need for violence here Ruby. You have your money and your location. You can point those guns elsewhere."

Sam looked at his brother in outrage, "You can't do this, Ruby."

"Oh but Sammy, I can do whatever I want when I'm holding all the cards." The smug look on her face made Sam's fists clench.

"Are you sure about that?" At Dean's change in tone, Ruby whirled around to look back at him.

"Am I sure I hold all the cards? Of course. You don't think I would take precautions when I know the Winchesters are coming?"

This time Dean and Sam smirked. After clearing his throat, Dean smiled and pointed to the man to Ruby's left. A second later the man lay dead on the ground with a hole through his eye. Dean pointed to the man on Ruby's right, and he fell in the next second. Ruby finally started to look panicked and that made Dean's day. He sauntered up to her with his cheeky grin and held out his hand while Sam kept a gun pointed at Ruby's head. She groaned and placed the bag back in Dean's hand with a little more force than necessary.

"Fine Winchester, you got me. You get a gold star to pin on your ass. But I wouldn't ask for my help again."

"Wouldn't dream of it sweetheart. But since I am such a fine, upstanding gentleman, I think I'll let you keep the goods anyway. That is because I do the job. I get paid. And that's all."

Finally a victory today. He looked at his brother who just gave him bitch face # 23. The "Fine, you were right." Face. Dean took great happiness and comfort in that face.

 

Anna and Gabriel were standing in one of the hallways of the ship talking. Anna looked very serious and Gabriel just looked distracted.

"You can't just let him drop them off in Whitefall. That place is filled with treachery. They would be sold off to the Garrison within the day!" Anna might have been furious, but she kept her tone to that of one fitting for a companion. Gabriel knew that she was very much less than happy however.

"You think I don't know that!? I'm not going to leave them alone. I will stay with them if I have to. I can keep them safe. I still have a few tricks up my sleeves." Gabriel seemed a bit annoyed at Anna's attention. Of course he had his brother's best interests at hand. If Dean did decide to leave his younger brothers on this dust ball of a planet, then Dean would find himself one pilot short as well. If that's what he wanted, then Gabriel would find a way to keep his brother's safe, damn the Captain. This was Gabriel, taking control of the situation and doing what was right.

"I know you have your tricks Gabriel, but you are only human…"

"oh sister, you have no idea what I am or what I'm capable of." Anna didn't have time to respond to such a statement when Chuck's voice was heard over the comm.

"He, he took Castiel." He sounded panicked, like usual, but there was a desperate pitch in there that made Gabriel sprint into action, but was stopped by the sound of the proximity alarm.

"Oh fuck, not now!" Then he sees Balthazar run towards him. In a way that only brothers could do without speaking, Balthazar let Gabriel know that he would find Castiel, and that Gabriel should make sure the ship, with all of them on it, were safe.

And the two ran off on their missions.

 

Balthazar runs through the ship in a controlled sort of panic. He knew that if he lost control of himself, he could make a mistake that could end up hurting his little brother, like he had done before. This train of thought urged him to go faster. He would never lose a brother again.

Finally he spotted Uriel moving silently through the hold with Castiel gripped in one arm, and a gun shoved into Cassy's spine. Balthazar was relieved to see that his brother still looked unharmed, but he was fucking furious to see how scared his brother looked. The dirty gag choking him did nothing but fuel his anger even more. And he didn't wait another minute to jump down on Uriel from the stairs, kicking the gun out of his hand and freeing Castiel in one go.

The gun skittered across the floor and ended up a good ten feet from the now struggling pair of men. And Castiel backed up into a corner of the room, his eyes wide with terror. He had never seen Balthazar so angry. He hoped that his lean brother could outfight the mountain of a man that had been holding him too tight earlier.

 

Walking back to The Impala, Dean had a sort of skip to his step that Sam just rolled his eyes at. But Sam was happy that things went right for Dean for once. Maybe this good mood of his would push him to let Gabriel and his brother's stay on the ship for a while. Or at least until they found a better planet. Sam's hopeful thoughts were squashed like a sandwich at the bottom of a kids backpack when he saw Meg's face as she caught up with them. Sam had never seen her looked this scared, or scared at all. She usually just had her "I'm above the feeling of fear" attitude that even Sam had to respect. She went right up to Dean to deliver whatever bad news she had.

"Just got a call from Gabriel. That ship followed us. The gorramn croats followed us."

Aw shit. They must have been hungry after all.

 

The fight between Balthazar and Uriel continues. Uriel is using all sorts of dirty tricks and jams his elbow up into Balthazar's gut. As he falls the ground after the hit, he spares a glance at his brother. Castiel has come out from his corner a bit and is moving his hand towards the gun hesitantly. It's almost like he senses his brother's gaze as he looks up as if to ask if this is what he wants. Balthazar isn't able to send him any kind of encouragement as Uriel beats him down again.

However, it didn't seem that he had to. Uriel, believing that he could safely go for the gun now, turned to it only to find it missing. He swivels around to see Balthazar standing up, gun in hand, and Castiel looking serious and no longer scared in any way behind him.

"I wouldn't move if I were you." The rage that had fueled Balthazar before had not even begun to dissipate. He held the gun steady as he kept it pointed at Uriel's head.

"Listen to me boy. Are you really sure you want to kill a fed? In cold blood? I know what you did to save your brother and I know that even though you have a bad history, you are no killer."

Anna supporting a stumbling Bobby come into the hold and take in the scene. Normally both of them wouldn't stand for this kind of violence, but this fed was not helping his case by taking Castiel.

"I don't want to hurt anybody. I have a job to do. To uphold the Law. There's nowhere you can take him that the law won't find. Nobody's going to hurt him... unless you hurt me."

He started to move closer to the brothers.

"I said don't move!" Balthazar looks like he is about to pull the trigger. Anna and Bobby both hold their breath. But he is stopped when he feels a warm hand on his shoulder. Castiel moves up beside him and smiles gently and squeezes his shoulder.

Gabriel was very busy up in the bridge. Keeping an eye on the radar as the croat ship loomed closer and closer as well as trying to get one of the on shore crew to finally respond to his calls!

"Where the hell are you guys! Now is not the time to sight-see!"

Uriel broke the moment so fast that it seemed like he transported from one end of the room to the other and he grabbed Castiel from beside Balthazar and used him as a shield from the gun. But instead of being scared like before, Castiel looked disturbingly calm at this. His face showed no emotion at all. He didn't even struggle.

His brother, Anna, and Bobby had all moved forward as soon as Castiel was in his grasp, yelling at Uriel to let the boy go. That it was over. He didn't listen, just pulled tighter against Castiel.

"I'm not playing around with you anymore! If anyone makes one mo-"

Bang

Suddenly a gunshot rings through the hold, and Uriel falls to the ground dead. Castiel only blinks as blood splatters over his face. Anna and Bobby look to Balthazar, horrified that he would dare shoot so close to his brother, but Balthazar was looking at his unused gun in confusion.

They finally looked towards the ramp of the ship where their Captain stood with a smoking gun. His face was grim, but determined. He strode forward sparing a glance at Castiel, then tossing him a handkerchief. Castiel caught it deftly.

Balthazar rushed over towards his brother grabbing the token form his hand and started to wipe away the gore from his face like a kid who just ate red colored ice cream.

Satisfied, Dean shouted loud, "Gabriel! Honey, we're home! Let's get this party started!"

Sam and Bobby then pull the fed's body over to the ramp, and dumping him unceremoniously onto the dust below.

The ship closes up its doors and lifts off the ground.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Ain't mine. Tragically.

CHAPTER 10

All those in the hold rushed up to the bridge. Anna chose to go to see if Chuck was okay. The bridge wasn't an overly spacious area, but somehow everyone was able to squeeze in. Once everyone had found a spot in the small room, Dean pushed his way next to Gabriel and got right down to business.

"How close are they?"

"Like twenty seconds from pissing distance, Cap." Gabriel's jaw was tense, but he spared a second to look at his brothers standing in the back of the room, frowning when he saw some blood on Castiel's face. But he looked okay for now and was standing passively between the preacher and Balthazar with a blank look on his face.

"Then lose them!" Meg's teeth were clenched so hard that Dean was worried that she might crack them.

Gabriel pulled up the rear vid on the screen and let out a slow whistle. Everyone blanched at what they saw. The croat ship was bearing right down on them.

Dean tried his best to sound calm, "Say, how close do they have to be to use those grappler hook things they tend to favor?" Behind him Balthazar swore, and Bobby groaned. Just at that moment, the first grappler was thrown. They were terrifying metal hooks with barbs, the whole apparatus being the size of a horse. The sharp ends could easily bury themselves in the sides of the Impala, but lucky for them the first hook only glanced off the side of the ship.

"Dodge them you idiot!" Meg shouted out helpfully.

"Would you all just hold your bladders and be quiet a moment so I can handle this!?" They finally quieted down a bit at Gabriel's strained voice. Castiel giggled and Dean turned to give him a funny look.

Up on the screen they could see that the ship had not fallen behind at all, and that it was matching their movements perfectly. To Gabriel's credit though, he was dodging the hooks thrown their way.

"I need Chuck in the engine room now," Gabriel grunted out. Bobby looked up at this.

"I'll head on down there to lend a hand. I used to work at a ship yard, maybe I can do something." He left the bridge with Meg following.

Sam spoke softly next to the pilot, "Do you think we can lose them?"

Gabriel didn't answer him, because at this point, he really wasn't sure and he never wanted to lie to Sam again.

Dean turned to Balthazar. "I want you to take your brother and get in the other shuttle. I'll send the others to join you soon as they can. Be ready to go."

Balthazar looked like he was about to protest, but Castiel beat him to it firmly placing himself between Dean and his brother. He looked Dean straight in the eye. His blue eyes looked electric and Dean wasn't sure if he was seeing things, but he thought he saw the lights flicker in the bridge.

"We will not leave you Dean." The firmness in this statement startled Dean, but he didn't let it shake him. He answered back with the same force.

"This is my boat Castiel. I say you go, you go."

Balthazar cut in. "We have family on this boat Dean. We don't abandon family." Near them, Gabriel felt his heart give a painful pull, but at the same time, his belly warmed.

Dean couldn't argue with that statement, so he just nodded and turned back to the screen to watch their progress, if there had been any progress…

"How's it looking Gabe?"

His nervous chuckle before answering was enough to make Dean swallow hard.

"I don't want to alarm anyone, but I think we are being followed."

 

In the engine room Chuck is running back and forth between several parts. He and the machines around him are all overheating from the stress and the three people entering to help are met with a wall of hot air as they move in. Chuck notices them and starts to hammer out directions for each of them to go.

He tells Anna to keep an eye on one of the gauges. He has Meg hold a pressure lever in place. And he has Bobby help him replace the fried wiring around the room. So far they were getting things done. The guy might be a total mess normally, but he had been chosen for this job for a reason.

 

"Jeez man, how long can you keep this up for?"

"Ummm, with four people down in the engine room? Probably another five minutes. We really need to think of something new."

"How about that maneuver you told me about. The crazy Irving or something?" Sam sounded hopeful. Gabriel had been sort of teaching him how to fly for a few months and Sam always soaked in every bit of information shared. His favorite thing to learn about were the fancy tricks that only pilots knew about.

"The wha…? Oh, you mean Ivan! That might work! Hey, hope you all have an iron stomach." Then he shouts into the comm, "Hey Chuck, you up for a crazy Ivan?"

 

Back in the engine room Chuck closes his eyes and whimpers. "No, but I don't think you are actually asking me." A chuckle comes over the engine room call box as his answer. Chuck turns to his temporary helpers with a look of despair before hashing out the new positions.

 

"Okay boys and girls! Hold on to your guts!"

With that Gabriel flips up a switch on one of the pilot joysticks, and presses down on a button on the other. The whole ship lurches as it's two jets flip positions and starts propelling the Impala in a complete 180 degree turn heading straight for the croat's ship. Dean, Sam, and Balthazar all look horrified at the change in events and the change in course. Castiel simply looks calm as he is held onto like a security blanket by Balthazar.

At the last second before they collide with the other ship, Gabriel pulls hard up, and they soar above the croats , missing them completely. He puts the ship on full speed again and heads to break atmo with the distance between them and the croats growing with every second. It's a few seconds later that he finally loosens his death grip on the controls as they finally reach a safe distance. He puffs out a heavy breath and turns to his captian.

"We are in the clear captain."

Dean's whole body sags with relief and he moves to the comm. "We made it out of the woods people. You did good."

The whole ship after that takes a collective breath and smiles at those around them. Once again, they were safe.

Castiel tugged on Dean's sleeve. "Did you know that the house fly hums in the middle octave key of F?"


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Ain't not nothing here that's mine.

CHAPTER 11

Later that night everyone has dispersed around the ship. Chuck is sleeping off his stress that had piled up since they broke down that cargo bay door. To him and everyone else, it seemed a lifetime ago. Meg has chosen to sit in her room sharpening her favorite knife after its use during the day. She was smiling to herself, thinking how convenient it was that no one seemed to question how Uriel had gotten out of those ropes so easily.

 

Anna and Bobby were in the clinic. The companion was cleaning up the cut on the preacher's head where the tray had hit it earlier.

"So, is this the norm for y'all? Cause if it is, then you are all nuts."

Anna laughed softy. It was a lovely musical sound. "We have our up and down days."

"Don't know how you can stand it. I just stood by while the captain shot a man, and I just let it happen. And I don't even feel poorly about it either. If that ain't a kick in the head. Here I was thinking I knew for sure what was right and what was wrong. That captain of yours is real good at blurring those lines for me. I'm starting to think that I chose the wrong ship."

Her face softened at his words. "Or perhaps you chose right. Perhaps you were chosen to learn from this."

The older man huffed at this, but still smiled. He always liked studying the new teachings at the abbey. Perhaps she was right. At least he got an adventure out of it.

 

Sam came up slowly behind Gabriel on the bridge. The smaller man was watching the stars. Sam figured it was as good a time as any to speak to him.

"I wanted to thank you for saving my life back there. " A long pause…

"It wasn't me who save you, it was Castiel. You don't need to thank me for anything." Gabriel refused to look at Sam and continued to stare at the stars as if they really were more important than Sam.

"I saw you reaching for the wound back in the hold Gabriel. You were going to heal me there…Why did you stop? You knew Bobby couldn't save me. You had the ability-"

Gabriel cut him off, "No I didn't. I may be able to heal like Castiel can, but I was nowhere near powerful enough to do it on my own. Whatever they did to my little brother was a lot more intense than what they did to me. He's their experimentation 2.0 or whatever. I would only have been able to give you more time, probably the same amount of time that Bobby gave you. "

"That's not it. I know there was more of a reason. Were you just trying to stay hidden? Afraid that we would turn you in?" Another pause.

"No. I was afraid that…that if you still died after I revealed my true self, then that would be all you would remember me as. That your last memory of me would be the lying freak that wormed his way into your life and ended up getting you killed. I couldn't live with the thought of you going off like that." The sincerity in his voice took Sam by surprise. He wasn't sure how to respond to that. But he knew that he had to tell Gabriel the truth of what he thought.

"Gabe, I don't think you or your brother is a freak. Yes, I'm upset that you lied to us this whole time. I feel like I don't know you at all anymore. I thought we….I thought we had some messed up sort of connection, but now…" Sam sighed. Gabe looked like he was waiting for Sam to punch his face in. Sam continued, "Now I guess we just have to start over. Hi, I'm Sam."

Gabriel finally tore his eyes away from the stars to look at Sam with a hesitant amount of hope and a lot of surprise. He smiled shyly which sent butterflies a flutter in Sam's stomach.

"I'm Gabriel. "

"It's nice to finally meet you Gabriel."

They smiled at each other, and then looked back to the stars. To Gabriel they looked more bright than ever before.

 

Castiel was seated at the head of the bed with Balthazar's head in his lap. He was humming the lovely pitch that the Impala had taught him earlier while stroking his brother's hair. Balthazar suddenly shifted underneath his hands to look up at Castiel. His eyes were a little wet.

"I missed you, baby brother."

Castiel simply wiped at the dampness that was on his face and continued humming. The sound had warmed him earlier, and hopefully it will do the same for Balthazar. Balthazar continued, "When I found out that you were gone…it was like losing Gabriel and Father all over again. Only worse, because I didn't have you there to guide me. I was so lost. I had to find you. I'm so sorry that I was too late."

His brother's hands stilled and rested on Balthazar's cheeks. He gave him a warm smile.

"This is how it was meant to be. We are all together now. "

"But you are…."

"Shhh, shhh. I know that I am broken. And I am sorry for that, but I see more now. I see everything. I feel more free now than I ever did before. "His face took on that dreamy look again that twisted in Balthazar's gut. More tears fell from his eyes and Castiel just wiped those away as well.

"I will find a way to help you get better little brother. No matter what it takes."

"What do you mean, "better"?" Castiel looked very confused, but decided that his brother needed rest. He was making no sense. Perhaps he would see better after he had a few hours of sleep. So he moved his fingers up to Balthazar's temple and sent him to sleep. Castiel had places to go and someone to see.

 

Dean was leaning over the railing again in the hold, just looking out over his ship. Obviously he had a lot to think about. Hell, they had just killed a fed, had three fugitives on board his boat, he had failed and Sam had almost died, and now he finally had some cash to use, but he didn't even have the energy to decide whether the money should go towards parts or food first. He shook his head. There was no way he was going to be able to sleep tonight.

A soft padding of feet drew his attention to the end of the catwalk. Castiel was alone and approached him still wearing that over-sized coat. Dean thought of sending him back to his room to sleep, but for whatever reason he decided to just talk to him.

"Hey, couldn't sleep?"

"I don't sleep." His voice had lost a bit of its flightiness and for a second, he seemed almost sane except for the part where he says he doesn't sleep.

Dean gave him a half smile. "You were doing a pretty good impression of sleep earlier."

"That was to restore my energy from healing Sam. Under normal circumstances I do not require sleep."

"That's too bad. I hear it's nice."

"I hear that as well. Did you know that a snail can sleep for up to three years? Truly amazing universe we live in."A pause and Castiel had moved to be shoulder to shoulder with Dean. The captain wanted to shift away a bit since they were now touching, but he just couldn't bring himself to move away from the warmth. Dude seriously had an issue with personal space. And usually Dean didn't have a problem with silence; he preferred it actually, but perhaps the day had been just enough of a stress that for once Dean felt like talking.

"How are you doing anyway? It has been a pretty exciting day for you."

The other man seemed to ponder this seriously before answering. "I woke up to find myself in a strange place, I have found out that my missing brother has been hiding this whole time, I have been threatened and gagged, and we were almost captured by abominations and killed." He stopped there for a moment to look at Dean with a blank look and then gave a small smile. "I also found out my brother is alive, I was able to see Balthazar for the first time in 5 years, I have met many fascinating people today, I learned a new song from your ship, I survived an abomination attack, and I met you. Truthfully, this is the most fun that I have had in my life and it's nice to be reminded that good things happen. I thank you for that."

"Wow Cas, that's…kinda messed up. I'm not sure I see much good that happened in the last day, or the last decade actually. Good things don't happen in my experience." Castiel looked heartbroken at this comment.

"What's the matter Dean? Don't you think you deserve some happiness? Is it too hard to believe that you can still take joy in the little things in life?"

"Like what?"

"You are alive. Your brother is alive, you still have your ship, your crew is safe for the time being, you outran a ship full of monsters, you got to meet some fascinating people….and you got paid." As Castiel went on, Dean's smile grew and by the end his shoulders were shaking with silent laughter. He met Castiel's intense gaze for what could have been a bit longer than necessary and then pushed off from the railing.

"You're crazy. You know that, right?"

"That seems to be the general diagnosis. But then again, you have thought that you were crazy many times before."

He wasn't going to question how Castiel knew that, "A little crazy never hurt anyone," Dean smirked.

They both laughed at this. Once the laughs had died down, Castiel looked seriously at Dean again.

"May I ask what you plan on doing with my brothers and I?" And the chick flick moment was broken. Dean hadn't even realized that one had even started. But he really did need to decide. It wasn't fair to leave them guessing their fate. But Dean knew what he had to do. He knew what was right.

"There are plenty of places that I can leave you guys that would be safe. " Castiel's shoulders dropped almost unnoticeably. "But it turns out that one of you guys is my pilot, which I kind of need. And truthfully, you will be even more safe if you kept moving. And Balthazar seems to know our trade pretty well. Perhaps he could be of some use to us finding our next job. And….you seem to have a few tricks up your sleeves. Your pretty badass for a little nerdy dude. And for whatever reason, I'm starting to like you…guys. So if you keep the crazy levels down, and you all pull your weight, then I can see you guys staying here…until something better comes up, of course." So Dean had made his decision.

"Thank you Dean. I will do my best." And Dean knew he meant it. And to avoid even more girly moments, Dean nodded and said, "I'm sure. Now you should go tell your brother's the news." He waved Castiel away to bed. But before Castiel left, he turned and said to Dean, "Cas."

"What?"

"Cas. You called me Cas, a few minutes ago."

"Oh, sorry. Castiel, my bad."

"No, no. You can call me that. I like it. It feels right." His dreamy smile had come back and he walked away. Dean shook his head again. Then Sam appeared from the other end of the corridor. He leaned on the rail next to Dean.

"We're still flying," he said.

"That's not much."

"But it's enough." The brothers looked at each other as the truth of that statement hit them. Dean just scoffed, clapped Sam on the shoulder and headed towards his bunk.

"Let's get some sleep Sammy. Tomorrow, we've got work to do."

Weird, I feel like I can sleep now, thought Dean. He hopped down into his bunk and lay down. It was silent except for a soft humming that he heard. It was soothing, and Dean fell into the most restful sleep he had gotten in years listening to it.

And the Impala rumbled through space with its slumbering crew safe and content and together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I happen to have most of this series completed. I plan to post one part each week while I finish up the rest of the story. Part II: Pick Your Poison will be up soon. Each story gets longer and more detailed as I move through them. I also promise my writing improves drastically!   
> Thanks for reading, I hope to see you come back for each new part!  
> Please review if you get a chance!


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